Concrete cribbing



July 8, 1930. o. s. FLATH 1,770,155

CONCRETE CRIBBING Filed Feb. l0,` 1927 2 Shoots-Sheet 1 July 8, 1930. o. s. FLATH l coNcRETE GRIBBING Filed Feb. 10,1927 2 shuts-sheet 2 Patented `luly 8, 1930 PATENT OFFICE i i OTTO S. FLATII, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS GQNCRETE CRIBBTNG l Application led February 10,192?. Serial No. 167,086.

My invention relates to reeniorced concrete cribbing employed in the construction of retaining walls more especially intended for supporting embankments or Y fills where construction of t-he ordinary retaining wall is impracticable. I y

' One Object of my invention is to` provide an economical cribbing composed of a few standardized vunits of such formation as to 1o be easily transported and assembled and which will readily adapt themselves to varying conditions, wit-hout requiring special skill in assembling.' v i v4A'"'fu1tlier object of my invention is the provision'of units adapted to interlock with each" otherfthereby eliminating` the necessity forcementing or grouting as well as obviatingthe necessity for apreliminary. tying of kthe various units together during the construction of a Aretaining wall; the various units providing a flush relation between stretchers and headers at the front of the cribbing, while at the same time providing` for the use of concrete slab units heldin place by the superposed stretchers whereby the interstices between the various 'courses are closed and filtering of the fill therethrough prevented. f

These objects and the advantages will be readily comprehended't'rom the detailed description of the accompanyingV drawings, whereinl Y AFigure l is a perspective viewof a portion p of'cribbing composed of myimproved units.y

"Figure 2 is a perspective view ofA portions of the type of stretcheis shown in Figure 1, illustrating the application of a illerslab or unit arranged intermediate 'of they headers. Figure 3 is a perspective view of aportionk of cribbing composed of a modied Vform of stretcher and header units.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of cribbing composed of my improved Vstretcherl and header units shown in Figure 1.

` Figure 5 is a sectional velevation of the cribbing shown'in Figure 4, illustrating'the method lof supportinga fill. f

'Figure 6is'a perspective view of portions. i of modified forms of stretollers', illustrating thebapplication of a modified form of filler s a Y In the particular exemplification of the invention as illustrated in Figures l, l and 5, the cribbing comprises a plurality of uniform unit-s formed to provide an interlockingv relation with each other which enables the cribbing to withstand the compression and lateralV strains encountered in supporting embankments or fills, and at the same time a cribbing which will adjust itself without rupture or injury. n

The cribbing disclosed in these iiguresconsists of the units shown in Figures 15 andl 16 of my previous application VSerial No. 78,503; this application therefore in part covering sutu'ect-matterv taken from said application Serial No. 78,503.` o i The cribbing of these figures consists of a plurality of headers 15 and a plurality of P stretchers 16 arrangedV in Vsuperpose'd relation at the ends of the headers.

The headers and stretchers arepreferably of reenforced concrete and of a predeterh what may be termedlongitudinal ribs of comparative width. That is vto say, the rear side of the stretcher 16 is of greater vertical width than the front side of the stretcher; thel forward portions of the superposed stretchers being adapted to receive the ends 18 of the headers 15 which are rectangular in crosssection and which at a properfdistance' removed from the immediate endand on opposite faces are each channeled at 19 to a width and depth corresponding with thewidth and height ofthe rib portions 17 of the stretchers. Inthis construction, it is apparent that the bearing Vsurfaces at the front sides ofthe stretchers and at the front ends of the headers are-of comparatively great dimensions. These wide bearing surfaces shown in Figure 1 are adapted to take care of thecoinpression shearing strains to which thefront ends of the headers are subjected by the downward and outward pressure ofthe -fill and any tendency lof breakage at the ends of the head- Vers will be prevented.

' i Where it is desired to fill-inthe space between the different courses of stretchers at points intermediate ofthe headers, this may be accomplished by the employment of the precast slabs or blocks 2O shown ,in Figure 2.

f The slab on one of its vertically disposed of headers.

faces intermediate of the top and bottomis provided with a projection or rib 21 of thickness corresponding with the distance or 1interstice between the adjacent superposed stretchers. The laterally disposed. rib portion 21 is inserted between the superposed stretchers with the body portion of the slab or block 20 arrangedin lappingl relation with the inner face of the stretchers. This will prevent l,displacement .of the slab or fillerblo'clr. by theoutward pressure of the iill. Theelernents I, or units 2O maybe of length to correspondl with the; standard or usual distance' between the respective rows `of headers; or they may consistof smaller units `of uniformiblock-size` and arranged endto end to fiil in the' interstices between the different courses y`of stretcher's intermediate ofthe different rows With the units or elements formed as shown 4in Figuresmly and 2 and arranged in proper assembled relationasdescribed, it is apparent that wide bearing surfaces arie providedl between the various elements and that the inter-i locking relation between the fstretchers and` `headers is arranged at a suitabledistanceremoved from the immediate ends of the headers so as to provide comparatively wide shouldersor faces atrthelends of the-headers which will notbe sheared off by thedownward and" laterally outward compression strains.

VIt is usual in thefplacing'and assembly of the unitsto-vplace a sufficient number of headers 175 substantially atright angles tothe embanlnnent or fill .and in order'to resist the 'compression,l strains, especially where the lill is to supportjrailroad tracks as shown in F igure 15,the headers 15 are also arranged in courses forward ofeach `other in order that' first Imelfltonedn'rowwiththe rearends of the Y headers of Vthefforward row arrangedin lat'- era-.l lapping relation' as shown Figures ati 22. L After al ,Sufeentinnmber' of headers have beenlplac'ed as previously stated, the `stretch-` e-rs 16 are then arranged longitudinally ofthe fill'fwitli theirendsresting on the ends of the headers,r namely with the ribs17fof the stretchers "disposed in the Vgrooves or ,channels '19 of the adjacent headers, while the for- 'f5 ward longitudinal edge-of each stretcher exvheaders and stretchers..

Stretchers nvr/dias tends flush with the forward ends of the headers, the head 18 of the headers `being of lonv gitudinal dimensions equal to the width of the stretchers forward of the ribs 17 i The headers and stretchers are preferably all formed of more or less uniform length in order that they may he readily handled; `.and the headers are Vpreferably of a width to .permit the ends of two aligned stretchers to be arranged in abutting relation in the groove or channel 19 offa header where the cribbing or Wallis of some length, as indicated in dotted lines at 23 in Figure 4. The cribbing may be composed ofanysuitable number of rows of headers and stretchers, with the rows toward. the inside of the fill being of less height than the outside row ofstretcherssee Figure 5as is usual ijnthe construction of retaining walls of the type in question. Afterthe first rows of'hejaders and'stretchers have been laidr as described, it is apparent that the succeeding courses of'headersand stretchers `are thenarranged inlike manner-on top of the Afirst course and so on until the'j retaining wall or cribbllg. has reached the kdesired, height.. f

f In Figure' Ishow amodiiicatfon of the,v

' The headers 24 lat a predeterminedA dis-V ence removed from the ends are channeled or grooved on the upperland lower` faces .as shown at 25, for the purpose of receivingthe ribsl 26 of the stretchers27; the ribs 26 being substantiallylike the ribs 17 of the previously described construction, FigureslA andi, 2.

The immediate ends of the headers 244.are transversely chamfer'ed as shown at 2 8I across the upper and lower faces, to awidth and depth corresponding with the-vertically disposed ribs 29 along the longitudinal edges-e aty top and hottoInL-.of .the stretchers 27. This provides the stretchers 27 with a longitudinal channel 30 throughout its length, which receives the portion-of the headers intermediate of the channel 25 andthe chamfer 28so that an interlockingrelation between the stretchers Yandthe ends of the headers is. provided. V Y.

It isvapparent that where'it is desi-red to close the lopenings betweenthe superposed stretchers, this lrnay'be accomplished by employne-th@ SlebSQO Shown in Figure. 2, which vare adapted to extend merely between the different rows 0f headers as'i-revously statedv andarranged on the insideof the On the other hand, this may be' accontiplished by employing the type of'slah' shown Aat k31 in Figure 6 and employing stretchers substantially similar to the stretchers 16 shown inFigures 1 and- 2. As the slabs 31 are of rectangular 'shape' without the ribs- 21 shown in" Figure 2 and lare intendedto be employed at whatgmayfbe termed the-'outer side Vof the `crfibhin`g,.tl ieA stretchers13 2,fon

their upper and lower. faces areV shewn'pro-k ll (i) vided with longitudinal grooves 33 of sufficient depth and width to receive the longitudinal edges of the slabs 3l as shown; the grooves 33 being arranged forward of the vertically disposed longitudinal ribs 17.

It will be understood thatwhen stretchers 32 and the filler members or slabs 31 are employed, headers like those shown at 15 in Figure 1 are to be used. The slabs 31, like blocks or slabs 20, are applied before each superposed stretcher is put into place.

`What I claim is:

1. Cribbing of the character described, composed of concrete units constituting headers and stretchers arranged in superposed courses and filler elements, the headers being formed with transverse channels at a distance removed from the ends corresponding to the width of the main body portion of the stretchers, the top and bottom faces of the stretchers being provided at the inner longitudinal edges with wide vertical extensions of width substantially equal to the widthl of the outer forward main body portion and equal in width and depth to said channels in the headers to permit the extensions and main portion of thel stretchers to lie flush with the tops and bottoms of the headers, while the filler elements are formed with flat top and bottom surfaces adapted to be disposed intermediate of the vertical extensions of the different courses of stretchers so as to take compression strains at points intermediate of the lapping points of the headers and stretchers, the outer longitudinal sides of the elements being provided with vertical extensions disposed above and below the top and bottom surfaces of said elements and adapted to lap the vertical faces of the superposed stretchers.

2. A cribbing composed of a plurality of precast concrete units comprising headers, stretchers and filler elements, the headers at a distance from the ends corresponding to the width of the main body portion and on the top and bottom faces being transversely channeled to a uniform Width and depth, the stretchers on their-top and bottom faces and at the inner longitudinal sides being provided with vertically disposed wide fiat faced portions' corresponding in width and depth to and adapted to seat in the channels of the headers to provide interlocking relation against movement of the stretchers lengthwise of the headers, the filler elements being formed to fit between the superposedV stretchers intermediate of the lapping points of the headers and stretchers and prevent movement of the elements-transversely of the stretchers. Y

3. A cribbing composed of a plurality of precast comparatively wide concrete units constituting headers and stretchers arranged in lapping relation with each other, the stretchers at their inner rear longitudinal sides being provided with fiat vertically disposed extensions on the upper and lower faces and of width substantially equal to the width of the forward main body portion,

While the headers on their top and bottom headers.

' OTTO S. FLATH.V

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